Ireland A 55, Wales A 22: A 33-point win, eight tries scored to Wales's one and several superb individual performances from the Irish team made for a perfect start for new Ireland A coach Matt Williams.
The Leinster coach, stepping up to international rugby in Musgrave Park on Saturday, looked perfectly at home at this level, and he showed he has the ability and intelligence to become an important part of the new Eddie O'Sullivan era in Irish rugby.
Trailing at the break 15-14, Williams's words of wisdom at the interval transformed the Irish who in the first 40 minutes looked an ordinary side, except for one moment of magic from Mike Mullins.
With the home side trailing 15-7, with all the Welch points coming from the boot of Leigh Jarvis, Ireland were in trouble until Mullins transformed the game with his speed and strength.
Picking up possession on his 22, he made 50 yards, brushing past three Welsh players, before finding Tyrone Howe who in turn found Alan Quinlan in space and the big Munster man touched down under the posts.
The Irish dominated the second half from the restart, and four tries in a 15-minute spell from Jeremy Davidson, Gordon D'Arcy, John Kelly and Tyrone Howe ended the game as a contest.
Ireland led 38-15 before Tom Shanklin scored a consolation try for the Welsh, which the impressive Jarvis converted.
But the Irish were not finished, and a late flurry saw them add a further 17 points in the closing 10 minutes to run out easy winners.
"I was delighted with the performance," Williams said. "We hadn't done much during the week because of the weather and the performance speaks volumes for the players and how much they wanted it. Their enthusiasm was superb today. Some of the players played very well and some of the tries were fantastic scores.
"When you have the players for only three days as a coach you can't claim a huge amount of credit for the way they play. You would like to but you can't really, so all the credit belongs to the boys," Williams added.
"It's a pleasure coaching these guys. Their professionalism and their attitude was first class. They have come from the provinces in magnificent condition. They have a great skill level, huge enthusiasm for the game and they want to learn all the time, but England in two weeks will be a different kettle of fish altogether," he said.
"They are a different class and they play a different game to the Welsh altogether. Away in Northampton with a full crowd behind them will make it all the harder, so we will have our work cut out for us."
Williams will now return to his work with Leinster and wait to and see what panel of players Eddie O'Sullivan and Declan Kidney pick for him for that game.
"Eddie and Declan pick the team and I do not have a problem with that. No, I am not frustrated by that fact. I am really here to support the national side.
"It's also good for the players to know where they stand with the national coaches. As we say to them, we can't pick them or drop them.
"It's their performances on the field that will do that. We're just there to support both camps, but to give the A team every opportunity to win games. That's the nature of the job and we have no problems with that," Williams said.
"When you see the A team play well, that will put pressure on the senior team to play well and that is a good thing. If there is no pressure coming from behind, that is not a good thing," said Williams.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6 mins: L Jarvis penalty 0-3; 13: Jarvis penalty 0-6; 22: N Doak try, P Burke conversion, 7-6; 26: Jarvis drop goal, 7-9; 28: Jarvis penalty 7-12; 31: Jarvis penalty 7-15; 40: A Quinlan try, Wallace conversion, 14-15; 45: J Davidson try, Burke conversion, 21-15; 48: G D'Arcy try 26-15; 54: J Kelly try, Burke conversion, 33-15; 57: T Howe try, 38-15; 65: T Shanklin try, Jarvis conversion 38-22; 68: Burke penalty, 41-22; 70: Wallace try, Burke conversion 48-22; 80: Howe try, Burke conversion 55-22.
IRELAND A: P Wallace (Ulster); G D'Arcy (Leinster), J Kelly (Munster), M Mullins (Munster), T Howe (Ulster); P Burke (Harlequins), N Doak (Ulster); R Corrigan (Leinster), P Shields (Ulster), S Best (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), J Davidson (Ulster) (try), A Quinlan (Munster) (try), A Ward (Ulster), V Costello (Leinster). Replacements: D O'Callaghan (Munster) for J Davidson (65 mins), M Horan (Munster) for S Best (65 mins), T McWhirter (Ulster) for A Quinlan (72 mins), B Willis (Leinster) for N Doak (72 mins), G Hickie (Leinster) for P Shields (72 mins), A Horgan (Munster) for G D'Arcy (72 mins), J Holland (Munster) for M Mullins (72 mins).
WALES A: A Durston (Bridgend); G Wyatt (Pontypridd), T Shankin (Neath), Gareth Thomas (Bridgend), S Williams (Neath); L Jarvis (Neath), G Cooper (Bath); I Thomas (Ebbw Vale), M Davies (Pontypridd), A Willward (Neath), M Voyle (Newport), G Lewellyn (Neath), A Popham (Newport), G Thomas (Bath), G Lewis (Swansea). Replacements: N Thomas (Bath) for Gavin Thomas (h-t), M Madden (Llanelli) for A Millward (60), D Jones (Bridgend) for G Lewis (72 mins), G Williams (Bridgend) for M Davies (72 mins), A Moore (Neath) for G Cooper (72 mins).
REFEREE: G De Santis (Italy)
